Attention

Friday, June 12, 2015

“We’re setting the stage for a terrorist attack in this country. And the group is not going to be ISIS, it’s going to be ‘US-IS,’ us against these unjust law officers and people who continue to allow racism to grow into this city.”

Transgender issues have been a hot button topic in recent weeks. It continues to get more complex as you enter the world of sports, especially in sports where the sexes don’t share the same field, rink, or court. Fallon Fox, formerly known as Boyd Burton, is a transgender MMA fighter who, though male by DNA, fights against the women of MMA.

Until age 30, Fallon Fox was known as Boyd Burton. Born male, Burton lived his life as such, though believing for a period he was gay. He was even married to a female at one point, and has a child. After serving in the Navy, Burton tried going to college but dropped out, and began driving trucks to earn money for gender reassignment surgery, which he had done in Bangkok, Thailand.

Now as Fallon Fox, “she” made her pro MMA debut in 2012, and made quick work of her first 2 opponents, who are natural females. After that, she came out and started to make headlines. Despite the natural body mass and muscular advantages, all of her opponents have been real females, and one of them, Ashlee Evans-Smith, actually managed to beat her.

As time has gone on, Fox has drawn attention from many big names in the MMA, and even a few words from Hulk Hogan. Many of the MMA fighters and personalities say that Fox should not be allowed to fight natural females. Those include Ronda Rousey, Meisha Tate, Joe Rogan, and Bec Hyatt. On the opposite side, Chris Cyborg.

Online dating is hard enough as it is. It takes time, money, and the ability to connect with someone that you have never actually met in real life. Tetsuo Miura, founder of Tetsuo Miura Group, set up three phony dating sites back in 2004 with the hopes that many people would spend a lot of money and never actually meet the person in real life to whom they had been talking.

Almost 3 million men were signed up across three dating sites, completely unaware that they were actually speaking and flirting with men who were paid to pretend to be women.

Police raided the homes of nine executives behind the scam, which had men paying 80,000 Yen (£475) to subscribe to Japan’s biggest social network site and phone line app.

The women’s profiles were all fake, with men being paid to be ‘meat men’, as they were nicknamed, and lure men into paying for the service by posing as attractive women. They even used photographs stolen from other dating sites.

Tetsuo Miura Group set the sites up in 2004 and have made 6.6billion Yen (£34m) in fees.

One bloke that fell for the scam reportedly paid the equivalent of almost £69,000 speaking to what he believed to be hot girls that were interested in him. Gutted.

Founder Tetsuo Miura, 42, and eight other workers were arrested on suspicion of fraud.

BALTIMORE – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) issued the following statement recognizing June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. This Saturday, June 13, marks the 40th Celebration of Pride in the Nation’s Capital. Baltimore Pride celebrates its 40th anniversary later this summer.

“For more than four decades, June has been a month of great significance for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community across the United States. This June should be just as momentous as we await a decision from the Supreme Court in the case ofObergefell v. Hodges. In 2015, 70 percent of Americans live in a state where loving, same-sex couples can enjoy all the legal protections of marriage. I expect that number to grow quickly, as the Supreme Court recognizes that equality is an inherent American value that should not be denied or taken away from any American person. Love is love.

A fundamental difference between the left and right concerns how each assesses public policies. The right asks, “Does it do good?” The left asks a different question.

One example is the minimum wage. In 1987, The New York Times editorialized against any minimum wage. The title of the editorial said it all — “The Right Minimum Wage: $0.00.”

“There’s a virtual consensus among economists,” wrote the Times editorial, “that the minimum wage is an idea whose time has passed. Raising the minimum wage by a substantial amount would price working poor people out of the job market . … More important, it would increase unemployment. … The idea of using a minimum wage to overcome poverty is old, honorable — and fundamentally flawed.”

Why did The New York Times editorialize against the minimum wage? Because it asked the conservative question: “Does it do good?”

But 27 years later, The New York Times editorial page wrote the very opposite of what it had written in 1987, and called for a major increase in the minimum wage. In that time, the page had moved further left and was now preoccupied not with what does good — but with income inequality, which feels bad. It lamented the fact that a low hourly minimum wage had not “softened the hearts of its opponents” — Republicans and their supporters.

As second example is affirmative action. Study after study — and, even more important, common sense and facts — have shown the deleterious effects that race-based affirmative action have had on black students. Lowering college admissions standards for black applicants has ensured at least two awful results.

One is that more black students fail to graduate college — because they have too often been admitted to a college that demands more academic rigor than they were prepared for. Rather than attend a school that matches their skills, a school where they might thrive, they fail at a school where they are over-matched.

The other result is that many, if not most, black students feel a dark cloud hanging over them. They suspect that other students wonder whether they, the black students, were admitted into the college on merit or because standards were lowered.

It would seem that the last question supporters of race-based affirmative action ask is, “Does it do good?”

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A transgender teenager said in a lawsuit Thursday that he has been stigmatized by a policy that bars him from using the boys' restrooms at his eastern Virginia high school.

The American Civil Liberties Union is representing Gavin Grimm in the lawsuit against the Gloucester County School Board. The complaint says Grimm, 16, used the communal restrooms without incident until the board, responding to complaints from local residents, adopted a policy in December requiring transgender students to use a private facility.

"To avoid the stigma of having to use separate restrooms, Gavin has tried to avoid using any restroom during the school day," the lawsuit says.

Housing regulations aimed at diversifying wealthy neighborhoods, which some are calling executive overreach for the purpose of establishing a utopia, are expected to be released by the Obama administration this month.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will release the rules with the aim of ending segregation in neighborhoods around the country, The Hill is reporting.

HUD plans to offer grant money to communities willing to build affordable housing within affluent neighborhoods. On the flip side, the federal agency will also give money to poorer neighborhoods to improve those communities through better schools, parks, libraries and grocery stores.

Wicomico Public Libraries is pleased to announce that Executive Director Andrea Berstler has received the 2015 Rotarian of the Year from the Rotary Club of Wicomico County. This award recognizes Rotary members who exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self”. Club President Kevin Les Callette recognized Ms. Berstler’s contributions to the club over the 3 years of her membership, including service on the social, fundraising and scholarship committees, transitioning the club from paper records to an online records and file management system and overseeing the clubs initial issue of the “Report to the Community” fundraising project.

“I am truly fortunate to work with the individuals in this club.” states Director Berstler. “They are dedicated, community-minded leaders who consistently focus on meeting needs and solving problems. I believe that their contributions make this community a better place.” Over the past 12 months the Rotary Club of Wicomico County has participated in ramp builds, provided $14,000 in scholarships, issued their inaugural Report to the Community, and joined with their sister clubs, Sunrise Rotary and Salisbury Rotary, to provide over 600 backpacks to school children, and 300 dictionaries to local 3rd graders. Additionally, they have provided supplies to the Fruitland Community Center several times throughout the year.

The Rotary Club of Wicomico County meets Tuesdays at 12 noon in the Da Nang Room of the Wicomico County Youth and Civic Center. Visitors and new members are welcome to join the group. More information can be found at wicomicorotary.com or on their Facebook page - facebook.com/Wicomicorotary

Wicomico Public Libraries has locations in Downtown Salisbury, the Centre at Salisbury, Pittsville, and the Library Bookmobile. Not only do Wicomico Public Libraries offer numerous free resources such as Internet access, a variety of classes, programs and events, public meeting rooms and an online virtual library with eBooks, movies and music; but it engages with the community by supporting learning, building community, and enriching lives. You Belong @ Wicomico Public Libraries!

On 06/08/15 an officer of the Delmar Police Department responded to the Gordy Tiger Mart, located in Delmar, MD in ref. to an individual who had been run over by an unknown male driving a motor vehicle who had fled the scene. The victim sustained numerous injuries and was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment. The victim was treated and released.

Subsequent investigation revealed the identity of the driver of the vehicle as Gregory Allen Lassiter, Jr. of Delmar, DE. Delmar police obtained a warrant for Lassiter. Lassiter was subsequently arrested with the assistance of the Maryland State Apprehension Team (MSAT). Lassiter is being held in Wicomico County Detention Center without bond.

OCEAN CITY – This weekend, Ocean City’s biggest and longest standing car show will fill the Roland E. Powell Convention Center with cars, motorcycles and entertainment the whole family can enjoy.

Produced by Live Wire Media, the OC Car and Truck Show, set for June 13-14, will be a sure fire way to kick off summer.

Weekend events include a concert by recording artist and actor Bryshere ‘Yazz the Greatest’ Gray, a performance by BMX stunt rider, Mike Steidley a Sound FX sponsored vendor alley with 50-70% off automotive and home electronics, a bikini contest and a kid zone.

Car enthusiasts can expect to see a true diverse lineup of custom rides. From big 4×4 trucks in the Truck Invasion Zone to world famous tuners, low riders, SUVs and exotics, the Ocean City Car and Truck Show has it all.

DOVER — With the Thursday, June 11, passage of Rylie’s Law through the House, children suffering from various forms of seizures will soon have another medicine at their disposal.

The House voted unanimously in favor of the bill with 40 yes and one absent.

Rylie’s Law, Senate Bill 90, is named after Rylie Maedler, a 9-year-old from Rehoboth Beach, and it would allow Delaware children under the age of 18 to use medical marijuana-based oils to treat intractable epilepsy and dystonia.

Immediately following the vote, Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, thanked his fellow House members.

"Lowering taxes and tolls is what I ran on, what I promised to do, and what the people of Maryland voted for. Over the course of three years, our citizens were forced to endure dramatic and unnecessary toll increases that were unfair and overly burdensome. These toll increases were regressive tax hikes in disguise, and I was proud to end them.

"Today’s committee hearing only served to once again demonstrate the huge disconnect between the politicians in Annapolis and the rest of Maryland. It should come as no surprise that some of the legislators who supported the massive tax and toll increases of the past eight years are now questioning the need to reduce them. Ultimately, our administration remains committed to improving the economy and putting more money into the pockets of hardworking taxpayers."

SALISBURY — The fifth Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force regional summit held in Salisbury on Wednesday, June 10, saw testimonies on what lower and Mid-Shore counties are doing to combat the drug “epidemic,” and suggestions on how the state can do its part in the battle.

Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, who was asked by Gov. Larry Hogan to head the task force, said there’s a real challenge ahead for the entire state.

Rutherford and the task force, filled with experts and state lawmakers, have been traveling around the state for months listening to county residents and officials report on how heroin and opioid addiction has effected their communities.

A 72-year-old man from Port Arthur, Texas, died inside his dream car when the lock system malfunctioned and he was trapped inside his 2007 Corvette with his dog, Leia.

James Rogers and his pet both died of heat exhaustion earlier this week, police said.

The accident is not uncommon for some Corvette models, owners say. A low battery or a low key fob battery can cause the locks to lock up. But there is a manual release on the driver's side that allows occupants to bypass the battery, according to owners' manuals.

The Cecil County Republican announced Wednesday at a Kent Island restaurant that he will challenge incumbent Rep. Andy Harris. The district includes the Eastern Shore and parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties.

Smigiel says some have been concerned that Harris was disconnected from the district and too open to compromise.

OCEAN CITY, MD (June 12, 2015) – The quick communication of nearby citizens made the Ocean City Fire Department aware of a residential fire in the downtown area last night.

On Thursday, June 11, 2015, at approximately 10 p.m., Ocean City Communications received a call from employees of the Lazy Lizard advising first responders of a fire in the area of 1st Street and St. Louis Avenue. The Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched and arrived on scene quickly, locating the fire burning in a small efficiency-cottage in the rear yard of a residence south of 1st Street on St. Louis Avenue.

“The early notification of the fire department led to a quick extinguishment by arriving engine crews,” commented Ocean City Fire Department Captain Josh Bunting. “Damage was limited to the cottage of origin, which was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt”

Neighboring residences were temporarily evacuated for safety, but returned to their homes after the fire was placed under control. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office. Anyone with information about the fire, prior to the arrival of fire and police units, is asked to contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 410-289-8780.

Actually, we really don't mind if you're a little messy at our place. An empty beer bottle here or dirty T-shirt there—no problem. But when we start seeing pieces of you (literally) all over the place, we tend to go off. Like when we find your pubes all over our bar of Dove, or toenail clippings on the nightstand, or a pile of chewed-out sunflower-seed shells on the counter. Please clean that up before we see it and want to gag. And then we'll promise to be better about leaving globs of our hair in your shower drain. Do we have a deal?

Whether it's for speed, frequency, or capacity, the Hyperloop — at least on paper — makes other ways of traveling look inefficient.

A chart in a recently published report by SupraStudio, which is a studio at UCLA’s architecture school, shows just how the Hyperloop stacks up to its competition. And the results are impressive.

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, which is one of the companies planning to soon build a Hyperloop test track in California, collaborated with Suprastudio to help come up with the data for the report.

Check out how high-speed tube travel compares to other forms of transportation in the table below.

Dealing with less vocal support than teachers enjoy, yet doing the work needed for the maintenance and operations of the county’s schools, the Worcester County Education Support Personnel Association is feeling the same squeeze as educators in terms of property tax and health care costs, but also without a raise to show for it.

Worcester teachers engaged in a “work to rule” protest, starting their day exactly when contractually obligated and leaving precisely as described, to draw attention to a 2016 county budget that excluded funding for step increases.

The county commissioners allocate funds for the board of education in 13 discrete areas, one of which is salaries. Teachers and support staff negotiate with the school board based on those figures to determine annual salaries.

“We’re the first ones there and the last to leave,” Ivory Smith, president of the support staff union said, “Teachers can work to rule, but we’re hourly. We come in on time, and if we stay later we’re compensated. I can’t ask our members to give that up. Yes, it might be sending a statement but it could be seen as not wanting to do our jobs.”

JOE- Received call this am from person identifying themselves as an IRS agent and giving a number to call as there had been no response and there would be charges. I called that number got a person who wanted info from me, ID information which if they were the IRS they should already have on file. I told them we had never been previously contacted, and there was nothing that we owe. the person kept trying to pursue info he needed told him I did not believe he was with the IRS and this was a fraud call and that I would be notifying the state police of the numbers they had given me and his supposed name, to which he then hung up on me. I did follow through after speaking to the police and called the IRS they said the info was indeed fraud because they never contact by phone and they took all the info I gave them for the IRS Fraud Line gave me a reference # to even follow up on.

Please let everyone know about this scam because the way they speak to you is threatening!

"I wish any lady who takes this dress to have a life with her loved one, 56 years like I did, happy years," reads the note. "I was a lucky man to marry a lady like mine."

The dress (and note) turned up at a store that supports St. Gemma's Hospice, which provides care for medical patients suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses. The note generated all kinds of local interest, so the hospice put the dress on eBay to make it available around the world. It worked, and now the beautiful lace wedding dress has gone viral.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday signed a law letting private adoption agencies with state contracts decline to participate in referrals against their religious beliefs, despite criticism that it amounts to government-sanctioned discrimination against gay couples.

The Republican told The Associated Press that the legislation codifies an existing practice within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which relies on private agencies to help find temporary or permanent homes for 13,000 children in foster care at any given time.

"Our goal is to get the maximum number of kids adopted by loving families regardless of the loving family's background, whether they're straight or gay," Snyder said in a phone interview.

Only two other states, Virginia and North Dakota, have laws that are explicit in allowing private adoption agencies to turn away prospective parents for religious reasons.

McKINNEY, Texas – A local pastor told Breitbart Texas he understood why a McKinney police officer pulled his gun on the two young men who charged towards him as he was attempting to detain a teenage girl. The comment from the pastor, who did not give his name, came during a conversation just prior to Monday night’s march by activists through the McKinney community of Craig Ranch.

“I understand why he pulled his gun,” the pastor told this writer. “A large number of people were charging up to him and he had reason to be afraid.”

Chief Don Johnson said there was no indication that firefighter Steve Ackerman was too intoxicated to do his job

VALLEY SPRINGS, S.D. — A volunteer fire department reportedly leaves it up to firefighters on whether or not to respond to a call after they have consumed alcohol.

The Argus Leader reported that an autopsy released last week revealed firefighter Steve Ackerman, a Valley Springs firefighter who died in an April 12 house fire, had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit to drive.

Fire Chief Don Johnson said Ackerman didn’t drive a fire truck to the scene — he rode in the truck with other firefighters. This raised a question after officials released their final report on the blaze.

Chief Don Johnson said the department policy for drinking is: "if you are not functional, don't show up."

The decision whether to respond is solely up the firefighter, Johnson said. Discussions about amending the policy have taken place, but nothing has come from it, according to the report.

"If you had one beer and you're going to a fire or a grass fire, it's no big deal," Johnson said. "I like to enjoy a beer with my pizza too."

At no point, Johnson said, was there any indication that fallen firefighter Steve Ackerman was too intoxicated to do his job. He credited Ackerman's judgment in evacuating the home, according to the report.

"He was the one to yell at the other two to get out," Johnson said. "He was the one who saw something go south."

Tickets are now on sale for the MAC Inc. Fun Day at the Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Ocean City. The Fun Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 25.

Tickets are $25 and are on sale in advance only. The Fun Day will be held rain or shine. Tickets include unlimited Splash Mountain from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; amusement rides from 2-6 p.m. (limit two rides on the roller coaster and excluding Speedworld and Extreme Zip Line); and unlimited golf at either course from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For tickets, call 410-742-0505, ext. 113. The deadline to purchase tickets is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.

Proceeds will be used to provide scholarships to MAC’s Richard A. Henson Wellness Center. MAC Inc., the Area Agency on Aging, is a nonprofit organization.

President Barack Obama and his accomplices in the federal government attempted to issue an ostensible “gag order” that would ban everyday Americans from talking about guns.

Obama’s administration reportedly wanted to retool the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to make it so that Americans must first obtain federal permission before they can share any sort of “technical data” about a firearm — think “blueprints, drawings, photographs, plans, instructions or documentation” — on the Internet.

The lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association accurately described this proposal as “a massive new prior restraint on free speech.”

“This is because all such releases (of technical data) would require the ‘authorization’ of the government before they occurred,” the NRA explained on its website. “The cumbersome and time-consuming process of obtaining such authorizations, moreover, would make online communication about certain technical aspects of firearms and ammunition essentially impossible.”

But that’s the point. Obama has failed at imposing direct gun control on Americans, so now he aspires to infringe on our right to merely talk about guns.

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his depositing the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly transfer of funds from my modest savings account, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only 31 years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has recently become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.

Two environmental groups filed suit Thursday against Gov. Larry Hogan and his administration for blocking a clean-air regulation developed by his predecessor that would have required coal-burning power plants in Maryland to curb their emissions of smog-forming pollution.

In court documents filed in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis, the Chesapeake chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility and Maryland Sierra Club contend the state Division of Documents acted illegally in withholding publication of the power plant rule finalized under former Gov. Martin O'Malley.

That rule would have required a handfull of power plants to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides 48 percent by 2020. Nitrogen oxides mix with other pollution on hot, sunny days to form ozone, which irritates the lungs and can trigger asthma and other breathing difficulties.

Chris English offers a combination of deep traditional blues and solid original material. Delta blues is his forte; singing, playing guitar and harp, stamping out the time on an old wooden coca cola crate. He uses vintage guitars from the 20's and 30's to replicate the sound and feeling of the blues he has studied and loves. For over 35 years, he has been true to his art learning the subtleties that make each blues special.

Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM

$5 Admission | All Ages Welcome!

HOT TUB LIMO

Saturday, June 13

Hot Tub Limo got their start in the beginning of 2010 in Grasonville, MD. The fusion of different musical tastes, facial hair and whiskey fueled an unstoppable drive to entertain the masses and see the world. They play rocked up versions of top 40 music and play throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, DC and beyond!

Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM

$5 Admission | 18+ Show

SUNDAY JAMS: THE LARKS AND NOTHING BUT TROUBLE

Sunday, June 14

Join us on Sunday afternoon for a day of all ages music and fun! The Larks began laying down their brand of deep-pocket funky jazz in the resort beaches of Maryland and Delaware to rave reviews. The Larks are comprised of top-notch professional musicians whose list of accolades, venues played, and musicians with whom they have traded licks is too numerous to list in full.

Doors: 3 PM | Show: 4 PM

$5 | All Ages Welcome

WHAT IS HEADQUARTERS LIVE?

Headquarters Live is a music venue in Downtown Salisbury. The focus here is on music, sound quality and the performers. It is a truly unique experience compared to anywhere else in the area! Sure, we have a bar - serving domestic and craft beers, wines and wine cocktails - but it's so much more than that!